James O'Brien

Hockey Daily Dose

Not very sunny in Philadelphia

The Roberto Luongo trade intrigue continues, with the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks sprouting up as the latest possible suitors according to some rumors.

Both teams represent sensible fits.

Chicago might be off to a hot start (they topped fellow Central Division giant St. Louis last night), but aside from the need for a second-line center, goaltending has been the team’s Achilles heel for ages. Adding the netminder whom they have tormented in the past - United Center staffers might want to start auditioning new goal songs just in case he’s added - would make a ton of sense and would be a bountiful gift from an entertainment perspective.

Loud supporters of Devan Dubnyk probably weren’t particularly abundant on Tuesday, as he allowed all six of San Jose’s goals in a humiliating first period meltdown. Honestly, I’ve never seen Dubnyk as much more than a lesser-evil option in Edmonton and I’m not overly optimistic about his future. With their goalie needs in mind, Luongo could be a great boost for the Oil. They even have some excess talent (Sam Gagner anyone?) to entice Vancouver GM Mike Gillis.

Really, though, there are plenty of sensible locales for Luongo if the price is right. Of course, Luongo’s own price tag is a big part of that equation.

UNDER 50 PERCENT - AKA DON’T KNOCK CONACHER

Cory Conacher (zero percent?) - It’s important to note that Conacher has indeed had some beginner’s luck in notching five points in three games. He’s connecting on 40 percent of his shots so far; that number is likely to dip to around 10 by the end of the season.

Still, there are some reasons to at least give him a gander. The pint-sized forward has been a pretty effective scorer at the AHL level, drawing inevitable Martin St. Louis comparisons. So far, he’s getting nice reps with St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and occasionally Vincent Lecavalier, which is fantastic news and obviously improves his chances of being more than a flash in the pan.

One area where he breaks from the St. Louis comparison? He’s shown a feisty side, with 114 PIM last season in the AHL. If he can net a penalty every other game or so, he could bring value even if his scoring dries up. I’d say give him a tryout if you’re weak depth-wise.

Bonus: He’s listed as a C/LW so he can be adjustable, too.

All that being said, if you guys like these two players and they are available, pick one or two of them instead:

Cody Hodgson (24 percent) - How is Hodgson owned in less than a quarter of leagues? Have I been beaten down by being in too many 14+ team messes?

Either way, Hodgson is a great depth addition, especially if you’re the type who targets rarer wingers because centers are easier to come by. He’s getting big minutes in Buffalo at appears to be the team’s go-to No. 1 pivot, so the much-hyped forward could have a significant season. If nothing else, the opportunities are there.

Stewart had a down year with 15 goals in 79 goals last season (after scoring 15 in the 26 games he netted after being traded to St. Louis in 2010-11), but I think he's the type who can flirt with 25-30 tallies in a normal season. He also has the kind of edge that helped him rack up 109 PIM in 2011-12, although his average PIM season could fall closer to the 70-80 range. So far, he has seven penalty minutes, so he's not exactly being a wallflower.

Andrei Markov’s two goals make his injury risks seem less pronounced. For now … Steve Downie left Tuesday’s game with a knee issue of unknown severity. This is a huge bummer for the PIM-hoarding power forward, who has had his problems in the past … Looks like Carlo Colaiacovo will be back around Feb. 19. Probably in time to get injured again ... Ben Eager is day-to-day with an eye injury, which probably won't yield too many years (pun sort of intended) ... Adam Henrique appears primed to return in early February ... Jason Demers is day-to-day with a wrist ailment.

Remember that bit about not panicking too early in the season? That’s easier said than done in some of the more passionate markets that boast teams with high expectations, so don’t be surprised if the anxiety levels rise to surprising heights for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Their record flopped to 0-3-0 on the season with a troubling 3-0 loss to the hated New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, as least temporarily establishing the perennial playoff contender as the worst team in the NHL in this newborn campaign. (No other team has failed to manage a single standings point in three contests aside from the flimsy Flyers.)

Let’s look at a few areas of concern.

BREEZING BY

It’s a natural reflex to blame the goalie when things go wrong with this franchise, so how well do the scapegoat horns fit Ilya Bryzgalov? Here are his stats so far:

Looking at those numbers, only last night’s game is especially disconcerting. Bryzgalov’s overall stats aren’t particularly pretty, yet that’s not a shocker when you’re 0-fer early in the season.

The bigger concern is if the media will start to turn on Breezy - or if he even turns on himself. He’s known as a sensitive, tiger-respecting and bear-fearing soul who might not be ideally equipped for a harsh market.

As weak as the Michael Leighton-Brian Boucher backup option is, one wonders if the Flyers might give someone else a try against the New York Rangers on Thursday (even if it’s just to shake the Etch-a-Sketch alone).

Unfortunately for GM Paul Holmgren, it’s not as simple as it just being all Bryzgalov’s fault. (I also would not get too excited about the possibility of Roberto Luongo coming to town, although there’s no denying that Philly loves to make bold moves.)

SCORING

One thing that’s been special about the Flyers under Peter Laviolette’s watch has been how lesser scorers such as Wayne Simmonds - not just obvious guys like Claude Giroux - have been able to light the lamp more than they have anywhere else.

That really hasn’t been the case so far, however, as Philly has only scored three goals in three games - with two coming from their new captain Giroux.

While I have some concerns about Bryzgalov and bigger ones about the team’s overall defense, Philly’s offense is one thing that should absolutely improve. Still, the ceiling might just flat-out be a little lower with Jaromir Jagr and James van Riemsdyk out of town.

One bit of good news: the word is that Daniel Briere could be on his way back sometime this weekend - or at least soon. Briere would give the Flyers more of a one-two punch again aside from the Scott Hartnell-Giroux combo (assuming he doesn’t just line up with that explosive duo) and perhaps bring some struggling players up with him.

Again, though, it’s best not to get too carried away about early results.

Especially promising for the future: the bounces clearly aren’t going Philadelphia’s way right now. Hartnell (13), Jakub Voracek (11) and Simmonds (nine) are three players who are averaging at least three shots per game yet they haven't found the net yet. The law of averages says that those bounces should start going their way more often.

But hey, if someone wants to overreact - particularly with Hartnell - there's nothing wrong with massaging those fears into a trade they’ll regret later.

Overall, I still think the Flyers should be a playoff team - although that Devils squad might just knock them off. My feeling is that the division-heavy shortened schedule will make it extremely difficult for the Atlantic (and other divisions) to send four teams to the playoffs.

So while it’s not the right moment to hit the big red button, the urgency is absolutely building. After the jump, interesting developments from around the league.

BIDDING FOR BOBBY LOU

The Roberto Luongo trade intrigue continues, with the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks sprouting up as the latest possible suitors according to some rumors.

Both teams represent sensible fits.

Chicago might be off to a hot start (they topped fellow Central Division giant St. Louis last night), but aside from the need for a second-line center, goaltending has been the team’s Achilles heel for ages. Adding the netminder whom they have tormented in the past - United Center staffers might want to start auditioning new goal songs just in case he’s added - would make a ton of sense and would be a bountiful gift from an entertainment perspective.

Loud supporters of Devan Dubnyk probably weren’t particularly abundant on Tuesday, as he allowed all six of San Jose’s goals in a humiliating first period meltdown. Honestly, I’ve never seen Dubnyk as much more than a lesser-evil option in Edmonton and I’m not overly optimistic about his future. With their goalie needs in mind, Luongo could be a great boost for the Oil. They even have some excess talent (Sam Gagner anyone?) to entice Vancouver GM Mike Gillis.

Really, though, there are plenty of sensible locales for Luongo if the price is right. Of course, Luongo’s own price tag is a big part of that equation.

UNDER 50 PERCENT - AKA DON’T KNOCK CONACHER

Cory Conacher (zero percent?) - It’s important to note that Conacher has indeed had some beginner’s luck in notching five points in three games. He’s connecting on 40 percent of his shots so far; that number is likely to dip to around 10 by the end of the season.

Still, there are some reasons to at least give him a gander. The pint-sized forward has been a pretty effective scorer at the AHL level, drawing inevitable Martin St. Louis comparisons. So far, he’s getting nice reps with St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and occasionally Vincent Lecavalier, which is fantastic news and obviously improves his chances of being more than a flash in the pan.

One area where he breaks from the St. Louis comparison? He’s shown a feisty side, with 114 PIM last season in the AHL. If he can net a penalty every other game or so, he could bring value even if his scoring dries up. I’d say give him a tryout if you’re weak depth-wise.

Bonus: He’s listed as a C/LW so he can be adjustable, too.

All that being said, if you guys like these two players and they are available, pick one or two of them instead:

Cody Hodgson (24 percent) - How is Hodgson owned in less than a quarter of leagues? Have I been beaten down by being in too many 14+ team messes?

Either way, Hodgson is a great depth addition, especially if you’re the type who targets rarer wingers because centers are easier to come by. He’s getting big minutes in Buffalo at appears to be the team’s go-to No. 1 pivot, so the much-hyped forward could have a significant season. If nothing else, the opportunities are there.

Stewart had a down year with 15 goals in 79 goals last season (after scoring 15 in the 26 games he netted after being traded to St. Louis in 2010-11), but I think he's the type who can flirt with 25-30 tallies in a normal season. He also has the kind of edge that helped him rack up 109 PIM in 2011-12, although his average PIM season could fall closer to the 70-80 range. So far, he has seven penalty minutes, so he's not exactly being a wallflower.

Andrei Markov’s two goals make his injury risks seem less pronounced. For now … Steve Downie left Tuesday’s game with a knee issue of unknown severity. This is a huge bummer for the PIM-hoarding power forward, who has had his problems in the past … Looks like Carlo Colaiacovo will be back around Feb. 19. Probably in time to get injured again ... Ben Eager is day-to-day with an eye injury, which probably won't yield too many years (pun sort of intended) ... Adam Henrique appears primed to return in early February ... Jason Demers is day-to-day with a wrist ailment.